D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 20, § 299
The meanings ascribed to the definitions and abbreviations appearing in § 199.1 and 199.2 of this title shall apply to any terms in this chapter not defined below. However, the following definitions shall apply to the terms as used in this chapter:
Emissions unit – means any part of a stationary source that emits or would have the potential to emit any regulated NSR pollutant following paragraphs (a) and (b) below:
Major emissions unit – any emissions unit that emits or has the potential to emit the PAL pollutant in an amount that is equal to or greater than the major source threshold for the PAL pollutant as defined for a major stationary source in § 199.1 of this title.
Major modification – any physical change in or change in the method of operation of a major stationary source that would result in a significant emission increase and a significant net emissions increase of a regulated NSR pollutant from the major stationary source:
§§ 2 (a) and (b) of the Energy Supply and Environmental Coordination Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. §§ 791, et seq. (2006)) (or any superseding legislation) or by reason of a natural gas curtailment plan pursuant to the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. §§ 791a, et seq. (2006));
(3) Use of an alternative fuel by reason of an order or rule under § 125 of the Clean Air Act;
(4) Use of an alternative fuel at a steam generating unit to the extent that the fuel is generated from municipal solid waste;
(5) Use of an alternative fuel or raw material by a stationary source which;
(A) The source was capable of accommodating before December 21, 1976, unless such change would be prohibited under any federally enforceable permit condition which was established after December 12, 1976 pursuant to 40 C.F.R. § 52.21 or under regulations approved pursuant to 40 C.F.R. part 51, subpart I or 40 C.F.R. § 51.166; or
(B) The source is approved to use under any permit issued pursuant to §§ 204 or 208;
(6) A change that only consists of an increase in the hours of operation or in the production rate, unless such change is prohibited under any federally enforceable permit condition which was established after December 21, 1976 pursuant to 40 C.F.R. § 52.21 or regulations approved pursuant to 40 C.F.R. part 51, subpart I or 40 C.F.R. § 51.166; or
(7) Any change in ownership at a stationary source; and
(c) This definition shall not apply with respect to a particular pollutant when the major stationary source is complying with the requirements under § 208 for a PAL for that pollutant. Instead, the definition for PAL major modification in § 299.1 shall apply.
Net emissions increase – is as follows:
(a) With respect to any regulated NSR pollutant emitted by a major stationary source, the amount by which the sum of subparagraphs (1) and (2) below exceeds zero (0):
(1) The emissions increase from the project, determined according to the following:
(3) The Department has not relied on it in issuing any permit under regulations approved pursuant to 40 C.F.R. part 51, subpart I or the State has not relied on it in demonstrating attainment or reasonable further progress; and
(4) The decrease in emissions has approximately the same qualitative significance for public health and welfare as that attributed to the increase from the particular change; and
(g) Actual emissions for calculating increases and decreases under this paragraph shall be determined as defined in § 199.1 of this title.
Plantwide applicability limit (PAL) – an emission limitation, expressed in tons per year, for a pollutant at a major stationary source that is federally enforceable and enforceable as a practical matter established source-wide in accordance with § 208.
PAL baseline emissions – the rate of emissions, in tons per year, of a single regulated NSR pollutant:
(a) For any emissions unit that was an existing emissions unit during the PAL baseline period, PAL baseline emissions means the average rate, in tons per year, at which the unit actually emitted the pollutant during the PAL baseline period;
(1) The average rate shall include fugitive emissions to the extent quantifiable and any authorized emissions associated with startup and shutdown;
(2) The average rate shall not include excess emissions or emissions associated with upsets or malfunctions;
(3) The average rate shall be adjusted downward to exclude any non-compliant emissions that occurred while the source was operating above any emission limitation that was legally enforceable during the PAL baseline period;
(4) The average rate shall be adjusted downward to exclude any emissions that would have exceeded an emission limitation with which the major stationary source must currently comply, had such major stationary source been required to comply with such limitations during the PAL baseline period; and
(5) The average rate shall not be based in any period for which there is inadequate information either for determining emissions, in tons per year, or for adjustments required by subparagraphs (1) through
(4) above; and
(3) Other Measurements and Calculations:
(ii) Calculate emissions per mass of material used using mass balance techniques;
(D) Determine emissions per heat input unit using stack emission tests, mass balance or emission factors;
(E) Determine amount of fuel combusted in a year records and calculate annual heat input; and
(F) Calculate annual emissions using emissions per heat input and annual heat input.
PAL baseline period – the two (2) consecutive calendar years immediately prior to the year the application for a PAL is submitted. The Department may allow the use of a different consecutive twenty-four (24) month period within the last five (5) years upon a determination that the operations during that period would be more representative of normal source operations.
PAL effective date – generally means the date of issuance of the PAL permit. However, the PAL effective date for an increased PAL is the date any emissions unit that is part of the PAL major modification becomes operational and begins to emit the PAL pollutant. The PAL limit that was in effect prior to the change shall remain in effect until the new PAL is effective.
PAL major modification – notwithstanding the definitions for major modification and net emissions increase in § 199.1, any physical change in or change in the method of operation of the PAL source that causes it to emit the PAL pollutant at a level greater than the PAL.
PAL pollutant – the pollutant for which a PAL is established at a major stationary source.
Predictive emissions monitoring system (PEMS) – all of the equipment necessary to monitor process and control device operational parameters (for example, control device secondary voltages and electric currents) and other information (for example, gas flow rate, O₂ or CO₂ concentrations), and calculate and record the mass emissions rate (for example, lb/hr) on a continuous basis.
Regulated NSR (new source review) pollutant – is the following:
(a) Nitrogen oxides or any volatile organic compounds;
(b) Any pollutant for which a national ambient air quality standard has been promulgated;
(c) Any pollutant that is a constituent or precursor of a general pollutant listed under paragraphs (a) or (b) above, provided that a constituent or precursor pollutant may only be regulated under NSR as part of regulation of the general
pollutant;
(d) Precursors identified by the Administrator for purposes of NSR are the following:
(1) Volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides are precursors to ozone in all ozone nonattainment areas;
(2) Sulfur dioxide is a precursor to PM₂.₅ in all PM₂.₅ nonattainment areas;
(3) Nitrogen oxides are presumed to be precursors to PM₂.₅ in all PM₂.₅ nonattainment areas, unless the Department demonstrates to the Administrator's satisfaction or EPA demonstrates that emissions of nitrogen oxides from sources in a specific area are not a significant contributor to that area's ambient PM₂.₅ concentrations; and
(4) Volatile organic compounds and ammonia are presumed not to be precursors to PM₂.₅ in any PM₂.₅ nonattainment area, unless the Department demonstrates to the Administrator's satisfaction or EPA demonstrates that emissions of volatile organic compounds or ammonia from sources in a specific area are a significant contributor to that area's ambient PM₂.₅ concentrations; and
(e) PM₂.₅ emissions and PM₁₀ emissions shall include gaseous emissions from a source or activity which condense to form particulate matter at ambient temperatures, determined in accordance with the following:
(1) Such condensable particulate matter shall be accounted for in applicability determinations and in establishing emissions limitations for PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀ in nonattainment major NSR permits; and
(2) Compliance with emissions limitations for PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀ shall not be based on condensable particulate matter unless required by the terms and conditions of the permit or the applicable implementation plan. Applicability determinations made prior to this date without accounting for condensable particulate matter shall not be considered in violation of this section unless the applicable implementation plan required condensable particulate matter to be included.
Significant – in reference to a significant emissions increase, a significant net emissions increase, or the potential of a stationary source or emissions unit to emit a significant amount of a regulated NSR pollutant, a rate of emissions that would equal or exceed any of the following:
(a) Carbon monoxide: one hundred tons per year (100 Tpy);
(b) Ozone - Nitrogen oxides or VOCs: twenty-five (25) Tpy;
(c) Sulfur dioxide: forty (40) Tpy;
(d) Lead: six-tenths (0.6) Tpy;
(e) PM₁₀: fifteen (15) Tpy;
(f) PM₂.₅: ten (10) Tpy;
(g) For the purposes of applying the requirements of this section, where applicable, to a major stationary source of a PM₁₀ precursor located in a PM₁₀ nonattainment area, the significant emission rate for a PM₁₀ precursor is forty (40) Tpy or more of that precursor;
(h) For the purposes of applying the requirements of this section, the significant emission rate for a PM₂.₅ precursor is forty (40) Tpy of sulfur dioxide emissions and forty (40) Tpy of nitrogen oxide emissions;
(i) Notwithstanding the significant emissions rate for carbon monoxide stated above, significant for carbon monoxide in a serious nonattainment area is fifty (50) Tpy, provided the Department has determined that the applicable stationary source contributes significantly to carbon monoxide levels in that area;
(j) Notwithstanding the significant emissions rates for ozone stated above, significant for volatile organic compounds in an extreme nonattainment area for ozone is any amount above zero; and
(k) Notwithstanding the above paragraphs, any emissions rate or any net emissions increase associated with a major stationary source or major modification, which would construct within six and twenty-one hundredths miles (6.21 m.), or ten kilometers (10 km), of any Class I area, and have an impact on the area equal to or greater than one microgram per cubic meter (1 µg/m³) over a twenty-four hour (24 hr) average.
Significant emissions increase – for a regulated NSR pollutant, an increase in emissions that is significant (as defined in this section) for that pollutant.
Significant emissions unit – an emissions unit that emits or has the potential to emit a PAL pollutant in an amount that is equal to or greater than the significant level (as defined under “significant” in this subsection or in the Clean Air Act, whichever is lower) for that PAL pollutant.
Small emissions unit – an emissions unit that emits or has the potential to emit the PAL pollutant in an amount less than the significant level (as defined under “significant” in this subsection or in the Clean Air Act, whichever is lower) for that PAL pollutant.
Source category permit – a preconstruction or operating permit issued by the Department that may be applied to a number of similar emissions units or sources. A source category permit may be written to address a single emissions unit, a group of the same type of emissions units, or an entire minor source.
SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 59 DCR 13044 (November 16, 2012).